Officials vow to work harder

THE provincial government is working to address several concerns to further improve Cebu’s competitiveness ranking, Provincial Board Member Miguel Antonio Magpale.

He said they are working on traffic, infrastructure, peace and order, health, education, and transportation. The province is also waging an anti-corruption campaign, he added.

“Hopefully, if we solve a chunk of these issues and concerns, we can make Cebu province more attractive to tourists and businessmen than it already is,” Magpale told Cebu Daily News in a telephone interview yesterday.

Cebu was awarded on Thursday as the third most competitive province in the country based on the 2015 Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC).

Magpale said being bested by Davao del Sur, which earned the top spot, and Misamis Oriental, which came in second, is a “wake-up call to all Cebuanos.”

He said addressing the issues he mentioned may push Cebu to a higher rank in the future. Projects aimed at addressing these issues were recommended in the road map drawn up by the  Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for Cebu.

Among the recommendations were the establishment of a mass transport system within Metro Cebu, a traffic management plan, and a comprehensive drainage master plan.

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said the provincial government should invest more on infrastructure, especially roads, leading to planned eco-tourism sites that will develop the countryside and boost Cebu’s economy as a whole.

Gov. Hilario Davide III, will fly to Japan next month to meet potential investors for the upgrading of Cebu’s provincial and district hospitals.

During his trip to Manila this week, the governor also followed up on funding for various road projects with the Department of Budget and Management.

At the Cebu City Hall, Councilor Hanz Abella said the award given to Cebu City “confirmed the City’s commitment to good governance.”

Cebu City ranked third in overall competitiveness among the highly-urbanized cities in the country in the same NCC index.

“The City’s challenge   now is how we can maintain our aggressiveness and competitiveness,” Abella said.

Councilor Alvin Dizon said he hoped being competitive will translate to concrete benefits for the residents, especially the disadvantaged sectors.

“Our vision is not only (to become) a competitive city, but more importantly, one that is sustainable and inclusive,” he said.